State, county and university organizations offer grant money for the construction, maintenance and improvement of community sports facilities. Most of these grants are available for city organizers, independent organizations or schools that are looking to fix up athletic fields, courts, pools, indoor training centers and other indoor or outdoor sports-related facilities.
Washington State Youth Athletics Facilities Grants
The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office offers a Youth Athletic Facilities, or YAF, grant program that provides funding for the maintenance and development of youth sports facilities in the state. The money can be used to support a variety of athletic facilities, including baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts or swimming pools. Open lots, playgrounds and other outdoor areas that can be used for activities other than athletic play are not eligible for the grants. The grant cap as of 2010 is $150,000 for new facilities, and $25,000 to $75,000 for existing facilities. Any city or community that buys land or facilities with YAF funds is required to make those properties forever available to young athletes.
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
1111 Washington Street, SE
Olympia, WA 90501
360-902-3026
rco.wa.gov
Texas Recreation Grant Program
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, offers a Recreation Grant Program funded by the Texas Recreation and Parks Account. The grant program is actually divided among five different grants, including those for outdoor recreation, indoor recreation (facilities), small communities, regional operations and the community outdoor outreach program. As of 2010, the indoor facility grant awards upwards of $750,000 for the construction of recreation centers and community centers such as athletic facilities. The annual application deadline for the TPWD indoor recreation grant falls on July 31st.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX 78744
800-792-1112
tpwd.state.tx.us
National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security Grants
The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, a research organization operated out of the University of Southern Mississippi, offers several grants that are designed to promote safety and security within sporting venues. For example, the Development of Professional Competence for Sport Security Grant is worth $85,000 as of 2010 and is designed to help cultivate sport security directors for specific facilities and arenas. The organization's Competitive Training Grant Program, meanwhile, is worth more than $3.4 million and is available to help organizations develop a National Risk Management Certification for Sports Events program.
National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security
118 College Drive, Suite 5193
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
602-266-6183
sporteventsecurity.com
References
Writer Bio
Lindsey Klingele is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer with more than five years of experience writing for consumer and trade publications such as "Meatingplace," "Plate" and "Celeb Life" magazines. She holds a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University and has covered topics ranging from the food industry to popular culture.
